The use of Cobalt in 18th Dynasty Blue Glass from Amarna: the results from an on-site analysis using portable XRF technology

Abstract

Cobalt was commonly used as a colourant in the Egyptian glass industries of the 18th dynasty, dark blue glass being a regular find at palatial and settlement sites, including Amarna and Malqata. The main source of cobalt ore used during this period has been identified in the Egyptian western desert, around the oases of Kharga and Dakhla. In order to better understand the chaîne opératoire of Late Bronze Age glass production and -working, in particular with regard to cobalt ore, at Amarna, chemical analysis by portable X-Ray fluorescence was carried out in the field. This was done on contextualised archaeological material excavated at the site of Amarna, which cannot be exported from Egypt for analysis. The results of this study demonstrate how cobalt ore was used in the various known workshop sites at Amarna, resulting in a deeper understanding of raw materials use and exchange across this settlement.